Invalid chair



March 14, 1939. H R 2,150,441"

INVALID CHAIR Fil ed Feb. 26, 1957 u, IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR.

a/x'zlsi A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to an invalid chair, and has for one of its objects the provision of an attachment which may be secured to ones favorite rocking chair to enable the same to be wheeled from place to place and'yet also used for rocking without detaching the wheels when it is not desired that the wheeled attachment be used for such transportation.

Another object of "the invention is a combination rocking chair and wheel chair with a relationship of the mechanism such that by rocking the chair to an abnormal position not usually acquired in rocking :to and fro, the wheel mechanism will come into a position for being auto matically locked for wheeling purposes.

Another object of the invention is an arrange- -ment-of wheeled construction on'a rocking chair 'such that'the person seated in-the rocking chair may release the wheels from their position for rolling purposes, whereby the rocking chair may be'usedfor rockingpurposeswith the Wheeledattachment released from operating position.

Another object-of the invention'is the positive locking 'of the parts in position by mechanical means which-are easily releasable.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of" certain novel'featuresof con- 1 struction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe accompanying drawing:

' Fig. 1 is aside elevation of-a-rocking chair with my wheeled attachment secured thereto but in inoperative position;

Fig. 2-is a'view'similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the chair as rocked "to an abnormal position for the purpose of engaging the wheels in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective 'view' of fragmental parts of thestructure;

Fig. 4 is a side'elevation showing the axle of Fig.4 in locked or operating position;

Fig. 5 is a central sectional View through the wheel axle;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the clamp ing means for the adjustable wheel axle. I

The usual wheel chair which is common in hospitals, railroad stations and sometimes owned by permanent invalids, is an expensive construction which usually can function only as a wheel chair, and the user, if he wishes the use of a rocking chair must transfer to such a rocking chair.

In private homes it is difficult because of small space and doors to manipulate a wheel chair about the house and it frequently occurs that an invalid person has a favorite rocking chair which although difficult is used to drag the person about from place to place where the-occupant may rock in the favorite chair; and in order to avoid these different undesirable results, I have devised an attachment which is simple and which maybe attachedto any rocking chair, the arrangement being such that the chair may still function as a rocker or with the wheels in place one may lift a portion of the chair, balancing it on the wheel axle, and wheelthe occupant from place to place;

and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, l0 designates generally a rocking chair having a seat portion as by suitable screws l8. An axle l9 adjustable in the direction of its axis is provided which may be varied in length by sliding the rod portions thereof into or out of the tubular clamp which is released or made fast thereon by bolts 2| having a slotted head 22 and a nut 23. This axle I9 is joined to the plate" by links 24 pivoted as at 25 to the plate and swingably receiving the axle as at 26.

21 which is so located with reference to the pivot The plate I! is provided with a notch for the link 24 that the link will guide'the axle into the notch 21. A lever 28 is pivoted as at 29 to the plate I I and also provided with a notch 30 which is located at such a point that when swung about-the pivot 29 by spring 3!, fastened at one end to the plate as by the screw 32, the notch will also receive the axle l9. As the notch 21 opens upwardly and the notch 30 opens horizontally when the axle is in both of these notches, as illustrated in Fig. 4, it is effectively locked and held rigid with the plate, any thrust being lengthwise of the lever and supported by the pivot pin 29.

The plate I! is so located on the rocker l6 that if the axle be in disengaged position with the wheels 33 resting on the floor, the chair may rock normally upon its rockers 16 with the axle sliding up and down: along the surface of the lever 28 at about the position shown in Fig. 3, the lever being held in engagement therewith by the spring 3| and permitting the lever to move. I

If now it be desired that the chair be rolled upon its wheels 33, the chair is rocked backWardJy abnormally which causes the notch 21 to register with the axle 19; at the same time that the notch 21 is engaged the notch 30 of the lever will be in a position to receive the axle I9 and thus this mere rocking backwardly of the chair automatically serves to position the axle in the notches and lock it therein. After so moved the chair is in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2

' and to roll the chair, it is merely necessary to engage the handles 34 which are placed on either upright 12, at the back of the chair, for this purpose.

When the chair has been rolled to its desired location in order to release the rolling attachment it is merely necessary for the occupant of the chair to reach downwardly and engage the handle portion 35 or upper end of the lever 28 drawing it forwardly and at the same time leaning forwardly t0} dislodge the axle l9 from position, thus restoring the parts to substantially the position shown in Fig. 1 or 3 for rocking of the chair on its rockers.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a wheel chair, rockers on which the same may be supported, a wheel axle, means including a link connection for swingably connecting the axle relative to the rockers, means providing a recess on each rocker for receiving the axle,

and a pivoted lever having a recess to receive said axle, said recesses cooperating to hold the axle in a predetermined position.

2. In a wheel chair, rockers on which the same may be sup-ported, a wheel axle, means including a link connection for swingably connecting the axle relative to the rockers, means providing a recess on each rocker for receiving the axle, and a pivoted lever having a recess intersecting with said other recess to receive said axle, said recesses opening in. different directions and cooperating to hold the axle in a predetermined position.

3. An attachment for a rocking chair comprising a pair of plates one attachable to each rocker of the chair, and an adjustable axle extending between said plates, said axle being capable of adjustment in length by a relative sliding of portions of the axle in an axial direction, means to swingably attach the, axle to the plates, and

' resilient means to releasab ly hold the axle in a fixed position with reference to said plates.

4. An attachment for a rocking chair comprising a pair of plates one attachable to each rocker of the chair, and an adjustable axle extending between said plates, means to swingably attach the axle to the plates, means to releasably hold the axle in a fixed position with reference to said plates, said means comprising a recess in each of said plates to receive the axle and a movable member to block the removal of said axle from said recess.

5. An attachment for a rocking chair compris 1 ing a pair of plates one attachable to each rocker of the chair and an adjustable axle extending between said plates, means to swingably attach the axle to the plates, means to releasably hold the axle in a fixed position with reference to said plates, said means comprising a recess in each of said plates to receive the axle, and a pivoted lever to block the removal of said axle from said recess, said lever having a handle extending into a position accessible to a person seated in said chair. 1

6. In a wheel chair, rockers on which the same may be supported, a wheel axle, means including a link connection for 'swingably connecting the axle relative to the rockers,two relatively-movable recessed members on each rocker, said members being so constructed and arranged as to provide intersecting recesses to receive said axle, said recesses opening indifferent directions and cooperating to hold the axle locked in a desired predetermined position, and a handle for manually releasing the axle from a locked position, said handle being connected with one of, said recessed members and extending into a position accessible for manipulation by a person seated in the chair. 7

'7. In a wheel chair, rockers on which the same may be supported, a wheel axle, means including a link connection for swingably connecting the axle relative to the rockers, means providing a recess on each rocker for receiving the axle, a member pivotally carried by each rocker and movable to either operative or inoperative positions with a portion thereof adapted to be operatively disposed across the axle in the operative position of said member after the axle is positioned in said recess so as to block the removal of said axle therefrom, said member being constructed and arranged so as to be engaged by said axle and moved thereby into a position to admit the axle into said recess upon a sliding movement of the axle on said member'after engagement therewith, and spring means mounted on said rocker tending to resist movement of said pivoted member to its inoperative position by said axle during positioning of the same in the recess and yet acting to maintain said movable member in its operative position for holding the axle in locked position when the axle is in said recess.

- THOMAS HARRIS. 

